he was really under the shadow of john hardin before that happened. they are deeply affected by the u.s. and mexico war. now, let me tell you about the war. like most people come you probably don't know a lot about it. the north american invasion again with president james fulk. he sent troops into this area with the intention of starting a war. polk wanted more. polk actually went to his cabinet and said, i think we should declare war against mexico. and they said we really can't do that because the mexicans haven't done anything. we have sent 4000 american troops down so we can't declare war on mexico yet. when polk got defensive and that he needed, he went to congress on may 11, 1846. and he said that mexico attacked the boundaries of the united states and had shed american blood on american soil. this was a lie. everybody knew that it was a lie. the whig party, which was the opposition party, everybody in the party in congress knew that land where the soldiers had been sent, they had always been considered mexican rather than texan land. and a lot

so this brings me to colonel john hardin of illinois, a gentleman and already entered used to into i've come to know well after spending many yours with his family papers in jakarta. again, from jacksonville, former weak corporate -- congressman part of the wealthy and prestigious kentucky family related to henry clay, both through marriage and glad. the first man to volunteer to fight. he was volunteering before even started. repeatedly writing letters to stephen douglas. and he already had a lot of military experience, flat in the black hawk war, an officer in that and he wasn't charged that taking the mormons and the state of illinois. a big military guy and political guy. he really wanted to fight mexico. he wrote letters to newspapers say, this is our greatest possible opportunity to gain california for the u.s. if war is declared, will be at the front of the movement committee was. now, he is a very, very a chat about the possibility of taking a lot of mexican territory. a big proponent of manifest destiny, but his views changed quickly and dramatically. when he first gets to mexi

another person i talk about is john jay hardin, some of you may be familiar with. he was part of an important family jacksonville and for a period of time as the leading whig politician in the state of illinois. not abraham lincoln. hence cast in the u.s.-mexico war some argue makes his path forward and wrote to the possible because he was under the shadow of john harden before that happened. her insanely assassinating and it deeply affected by the u.s. civil war. and they tell you a little bit about the war because they assumed like most people you don't know a whole lot about it. the north american invasion as it is known in mexico began when president james k. polk sent troops into a disputed area between the new bases and rio grande river with the intention of starting a war. polk wanted more. he was sent on declaring war of the mexican army didn't raise to the debate. the day before he found out that mexicans had crossed the rio grande and killed 14 soldiers in this disputed area, polk actually went to his cabinet and said i think we should declare war against